Ocrevus 2nd infusion – encouraging

I had my second infusion of Ocrevus yesterday. It was very similar to the 1st infusion. The Benadryl made me sleepy, and during the infusion nothing much happened just like last time. Got done around 2 PM and we came home. This infusion was on a Friday though while the last one was on a Thursday. So we planned to go out to listen to music since it's really the start of the weekend. Last time I got a weird headache in my eyes and this time was no different. Last infusion I just rested went to bed early. This time we went to music and the jostling car ride and the music increased my headache so was quite a bit worse and last time. I took couple more Advil and that seem to help except then my stomach started to feel a little queasy. I was loading up on carbohydrates and I think that didn't help my stomach much. I made it almost to the end of the music and we came home and I went to bed. Woke up this morning with no headache so I think I really should just rest after the day of the infusion. I'm going to miss going out because the outdoor music season is almost over.
Last night I did my usual stretches before bed to stretch my shoulders out because I tightened up during the day. I recline my chair all the way back and then have my wife pull my arms out above my head. That help stretch the shoulders and I usually can't move them from that position. Last night I could lift a both my arms up and put them in my lap. This totally surprised me because I haven't been able to do my right arm since last December and it has been years since I could lift my left arm back over. Was my new drug working or was this just a fluke? This morning in bed I tried moving my right arm away from my body and stretching it in that direction. I haven't been able to do that since last December. I was able to move about 20° away from my body which was kind of encouraging.
When we got up, we decided to go to a dog function where they were having a number of booths and some demonstrations. I found I could run the tilt joystick fairly easily and I asked my wife to let me try driving my chair. I did not expect much but wanted to try. And I'm driving all the way out into the garage, into the van and into the locking mechanism. I can't say it was easy but I was able to do it with total concentration. Then when we got to the event I drove my chair out of the van and all around the demonstrations. After one pass through, my arm and hand were too tired and she had to take over but I had done more today than I've done since last fall. Again is this the new drug or just a temporary fluke? Over the course of many years some of my functions have come and gone in minor degrees. I hope this is just a start and that over time I will get more use out of my right hand. When we got home from the dog event (my wife wouldn't let me bring home a dog though) it took a long time and a lot of rests, but I eventually drove my chair into the house but then my right hand was done.
Of course each day I hope to get better and who knows where it will end. Of course I can hape and dream and try real hard but who knows what the end result will be. The doctors don't know, the drug maker doesn't know, but it offers the first opportunity for my type of MS and it seems to be getting good reports.
I have to give a shout out to my neurologist nurse who has worked tirelessly to get me to this point. She has coordinated everything including applying for the drug manufacturer to supply the drug for free. It is normally $65,000 and insurance does not have it on their books yet because it is new and they don't like to pay for anything less somebody makes them. They are also supplying the next one and I will get in March. After that who knows if insurance will cover it or not. I understand that some states Wellmark covers it and in other states no way. It is very easy to become hateful toward insurance companies. Maybe they'll surprise me in the future. I look forward to gaining the use of my right hand and hope this is not a fluke. It would be hard to deal with more disappointment.
.